Next kickoff, same result: Faulk plowed under a defender and took down Robertson.

Third kickoff, different situation, same result: The *****, wising up now, double-teamed Faulk and knocked him to the turf. But as Robertson ran by, Faulk "reaches up and makes the tackle," Martz said. "It's pretty incredible, really."

To complete his evening by the Bay, Faulk threw in a tackle on a punt return, giving him a game-high four special-teams stops - just two behind team leaders Mike Furrey and Justin Lucas. Not bad for a guy with virtually no experience on kick coverage.

"I've never really done it before," Faulk said. "This is pretty much the first time since maybe my freshman year" at Louisiana State. Faulk is a middle linebacker by trade, but he might be carving out a new niche for himself.

"It's just fun," said the 6-foot-3, 254-pound native of Lafayette, La. "It's just wide open, wild, bodies flying all over the place. You're just kind of sorting through everything, trying to get to the ball carrier."

Faulk modestly called his success vs. the ***** "beginner's luck; I was just trying not to be offside on the kick. ... I ran down there and tried to make a play, just tried to get to the ball. Once you get down there, it's not much different from playing linebacker. You're just trying to shed your man and get to the ball carrier. I was just fortunate enough to be able to do that."

Faulk hadn't played in a regular-season NFL game before seeing special-teams action in the opener against Arizona. He was hurt in that game, though, and spent more time over the next two weeks with the trainers than he did with his teammates.

"When I first heard 'torn hamstring' I was kind of worried about it," Faulk said. "I just kept believing ... that it wasn't as bad as what everybody thought it was. I tried to take that out of my mind and just focus on trying to get back as soon as I could."

And make an immediate impact when he did.

"He is, pound for pound, probably our best hitter ... a terrific collision player, fearless," Martz said. "Some guys have just got a knack of pulling all the levers when they strike somebody. When he hits you, he pops you. You can hear it everywhere."
More work for Jackson

After getting 12 carries in the first three games, running back Steven Jackson - the team's first-round draft pick in April - nearly doubled that total Sunday night.

On the fifth of his 10 tries, he scored his first regular-season touchdown, a 2-yard burst late in the first half on a draw play called "20 paint."

"That was nice," said Jackson, a 6-2, 231-pound Oregon State product who gained 46 yards overall. "It's one of those special moments that you won't forget."

Two other Rams also posted their first-ever TDs: third-year fullback Joey Goodspeed, on a 2-yard plunge in the first quarter; and second-year wideout Shaun McDonald, on a 6-yard reception later in the opening period.

"We probably should've had a drink or something after the game together," McDonald said. "We were talking about it on the sideline: all the newcomers got to score."

According to Martz, Jackson soon will be getting more shots at the end zone.

"He'll creep his way into many different aspects of our offense from here on out," Martz said. "We got him more involved in that game, and he'll have other roles, too."

Coady will start again

With Adam Archuleta still nursing a lower-back injury, Martz indicated Wednesday that Rich Coady would start at strong safety for the second week in succession. Coady collected 10 tackles Sunday, when Archuleta was restricted to passing-down plays, and was named the Rams' defensive player of the week.

Martz said he again would "limit Arch's playing time and just see how he does with it. He's gotten better every week."

Offensive tackle Chris Dishman (knee) was listed as questionable on Wednesday's injury report. Dishman, who was injured Sept. 26 against New Orleans, said he's made only minimal progress since then.

"It's kind of wearing on me," he said. "It's getting a little better, but I wanted big gains instead of these small ones."

Scott Tercero, who started in Dishman's place Sunday, suffered a broken bone in his left hand early in the game and skipped practice Wednesday.

He said that he'd be ready to go Sunday, when the Rams (2-2) take on the NFC West- leading Seahawks (3-0) in Seattle.

"They're just going to put a cast on it," Tercero said. "It was bothering me the entire game, but it wasn't that big of a deal."

DeJuan Groce (knee) returned to practice Wednesday and worked with the first unit at right cornerback; Kevin Garrett started in that spot in San Francisco.

Running back-kick returner Arlen Harris (hamstring) is expected to return to full duty this week, and although he sat out Wednesday, linebacker Robert Thomas (ankle) is listed as probable.

Re: Trev Faulk makes impact /Coady to start

Maybe Trev can add a spark to the ST's. Sounds like he thinks its fun, and we need someone to take over that situation. The ST's coverage unit hasn't really been the same since Fletcher left (sounding like the refrain in a song with all the problems creeping up due to Fletcher leaving).

Archuleta needs to rest his back, especially against the potent Seahawk passing game. Coady may be better in pass coverage anyway.

Re: Trev Faulk makes impact /Coady to start

With Adam Archuleta still nursing a lower-back injury, Martz indicated Wednesday that Rich Coady would start at strong safety for the second week in succession.

Offensive tackle Chris Dishman (knee) was listed as questionable on Wednesday's injury report. Dishman, who was injured Sept. 26 against New Orleans, said he's made only minimal progress since then.

Scott Tercero, who started in Dishman's place Sunday, suffered a broken bone in his left hand early in the game and skipped practice Wednesday.

DeJuan Groce (knee) returned to practice Wednesday and worked with the first unit at right cornerback;

Running back-kick returner Arlen Harris (hamstring) is expected to return to full duty this week, and although he sat out Wednesday,

linebacker Robert Thomas (ankle) is listed as probable.

This has started out to be one of the most unforgiving years relative to injuries, league-wide, that I can ever recall. Insurance premiums for NFL players has to be sky-rocketing this year. Of course injuries are nothing new ... but it strikes me that the Champion this year is going to be the one that survives the injury plague.